Ridley Scott

One of the more respected and prolific filmmakers in modern cinema, director-producer Ridley Scott amassed a portfolio containing some of the most critically and commercially successful movies of all...
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Harrison Ford has officially signed on for a planned Blade Runner sequel. More than 30 years after the original 1982 Ridley Scott movie, Ford is reprising his character Rick Deckard for a long-awaited sequel, which will begin shooting next year (16).
Hampton Fancher, who co-wrote the Blade Runner screenplay is also back on board for the project. Denis Villeneuve is in talks to direct, while Ridley Scott will serve as executive producer.
Last year (14), Scott revealed Ford had read the sequel's script and was impressed, stating, "He said, 'Wow, this is the best thing I've ever read'," adding, "It's very relevant to what happened in the first one."
Announcing Ford's casting on Friday (27Feb15), producer Andrew Kosove said, "We are honoured that Harrison is joining us on this journey with Denis Villeneuve, who is a singular talent... We couldn't be more thrilled with this amazing, creative team."
Ford is currently revisiting another iconic sci-fi movie character from his past - he has reprised his grumpy freedom fighter Han Solo for director J.J. Abrams' new Star Wars movie.

Actress Jessica Chastain has credited director Sir Ridley Scott with creating more roles for women in Hollywood by championing them as lead actors in his movies. The Zero Dark Thirty star is adamant the British moviemaker has helped change the industry over the years by letting women front his films rather than putting them in supporting roles.
She tells Britain's Daily Mail newspaper, "I've always been a fan of Ridley's. He's a gem of a human being, for starters. And he provided so many great roles for women. Look at Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis in Thelma And Louise. And there was Sigourney Weaver, as Ripley in Alien. That was originally written for a man, and he changed it to a woman. That doesn't happen a lot in our business."

Neill Blomkamp's Alien sequel is back on with Sigourney Weaver in talks to return for the movie. The District 9 filmmaker has been dropping hints about the project online in recent months, and even gave fans a glimpse of what a new Alien film could look like in late December (14), when he shared pieces of his concept art on Instagram.com.
At the time, he claimed work on the film had been abandoned, stating, "Was working on this. Don't think I am anymore. Love it though."
He did not reveal exactly why he was stepping away from the movie, but he refused to rule out a future return, musing, "maybe I'll go back to it... love the world".
Now it appears Blomkamp has worked out any issues with bosses at 20th Century Fox and he has since closed a deal to officially take charge of the film, reports Variety.com.
Blomkamp shared the news with fans on Instagram on Wednesday (18Feb15), when he uploaded a sketch of the alien xenomorph and captioned it, "Um... So I think it's officially my next film. alien".
Further details about the untitled sci-fi project have yet to be revealed, but it is separate from Prometheus 2, the second prequel original Alien director Sir Ridley Scott is developing for 2016.
Meanwhile, Scott's Alien leading lady Weaver has revealed she is interested in returning to the franchise as Ripley after working with Blomkamp on their new movie, Chappie.
During an interview on America's The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday (18Feb15), she said, "We've been talking about it (new Alien movie). He (Blomkamp) is so talented."
And Weaver confessed she had already agreed to help comedian Louis C.K. land an appearance in the next Alien film.
She added, "Louis C.K. said, 'I wanna be in it and I wanna die in a terrible way.' And I said, 'I'm sure something can be arranged.'"

A drug kingpin portrayed by Denzel Washington in hit film American Gangster is developing a TV series based on his life. Former New York-based heroin importer Frank Lucas is set to tell his tale about dealing drugs in the late 1960s and early 1970s in a series called Blue Magic.
A source tells New York Post gossip column Page Six that Lucas will appear in the programme, and filming is expecting to begin in the Big Apple in August (15).
In addition, Lucas is hoping to recruit rapper Jay Z, whose 2007 album is titled American Gangster, to sign on as a producer of the show.
Washington's 2007 film also starred Russell Crowe and Ruby Dee, and was directed by Sir Ridley Scott.

Sir Ridley Scott's new Biblical epic Exodus: Gods And Kings will now be screened in Moroccan cinemas after cuts were made to satisfy film authorities. The blockbuster was banned in Morocco, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates due to "historical inaccuracies".
Members of the Moroccan review board took issue with lines of dialogue between Christian Bale's Moses and an 11-year-boy, who could be viewed as a physical representation of God, a notion which is forbidden in Islam.
Scott and his producers took out the offending remarks and the movie has now been cleared for theatrical release.
A statement from the Moroccan Cinematography Center reads, "They went ahead and made the desired change, removing two audio passages that alluded to the personification of the Divine."

Filmmaker Neill Blomkamp appears to have abandoned work on a new movie in the Alien franchise after sharing pieces of his concept art with fans online. The District 9 director took to Instagram.com last week (ends04Jan15) to give fans a glimpse at what a new film could look like, unveiling mock-ups of Sigourney Weaver's Ripley character and Michael Biehn's Hicks, in addition to his visions for the alien xenomorph and spacecraft, among others.
Alongside his first snap of the titular alien, he wrote, "Was working on this. Don't think I am anymore. Love it though."
In another caption, he continued, "Woulda rocked. Was a mental stroll into the world Ridley Scott created."
The South African moviemaker did not reveal exactly what the artwork was for or why he was stepping away from the project, but he is not ruling out a future return, musing, "maybe I'll go back to it ....love the world".
Sir Ridley Scott directed the first Alien movie in 1979 and helmed the prequel Prometheus in 2012.
He is due to return for a sequel, which is scheduled for release in 2016.

Actor Christian Bale became a pest on the set of new biblical epic Exodus: Gods & Kings because he studied his character, Moses, and became an expert. The star admits he bothered director Ridley Scott as he learned more and more about the hero he was portraying.
He tells WENN, "The thing that I did find most fascinating about Moses, with complete respect to the other portrayals and other films that I've seen, was when I read the Torah completely from beginning right through to the end; that it is incredibly fascinating, and Moses is possibly the most intriguing figure I've ever come across.
"He encompasses virtually every single human emotion known to man. He is somebody who is heroic and strong. He is a liberator, he is a leader. He is somebody who, at times, is absolutely wracked with self doubt but is certainly an iconoclast.
"I kept on annoying Ridley with how fascinating the character was and how much we could add, saying, 'Can't we put this in?' But he would say, 'Well Christian, that's an eight-hour long film... Please shut up; I'm trying to get through a day's work!'
"There's a reason why his story has resonated for a millenia and why his story is one of the most important in mankind's history."

As obsessive readers and fans of dismissing quality movies as inferior to their literary counterparts, it's important for us to know which books will head to the big screen ahead of time. How else will we know how Wild Reese will be, or what is going to happen to Peeta? Be reasonable. We've decided to use our research for the good of society and share the adaptations coming soon that we are most excited for.
1. The Spook's Apprentice - Joseph Delaney (Seventh Son)
Thomas Ward (Ben Barnes) is the seventh son of the seventh son, which gives him the ability to see things that others cannot: ghosts, ghasts, boggarts, and the like. He becomes an apprentice to John Gregory, the Spook (Jeff Bridges). Julianne Moore is set to play Mother Malkin, one of the most sinister witches who uses blood magic, luring young runaway women into care before sucking their blood to maintain her youth, who was then imprisoned by the Spook. Kit Harington and Djimon Hounsou also star.
2. Fifty Shades of Grey - E.L. James
Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan, in case you somehow didn't know, are stepping into the roles of Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey for the adaptation of the incredibly successful erotic novel. Steele, a literature student, interviews Grey as a favor to her roommate, but quickly becomes entranced by this brilliant and handsome man who is unable to resist her. He admits his desire, but on his own terms; this is a man with a need to control everything. This is also probably going to be the movie with a bunch of heavy-breathing sweaty middle-aged women trying to control themselves in the theater. You've been warned.
3. In the Heart of the Sea - Nathaniel Philbrick
The last time Ron Howard and Chris Hemsworth teamed up, they brought us one of the best films of 2013, Rush. Now, they're at it again (along with Cillian Murphy and Benjamin Walker) with this story of a whaleship attacked by one angry whale, leaving the crew shipwrecked and stranded for 90 days, thousands of miles from land. The true story inspired a little book by Herman Melville (played in the movie by our favorite, Ben Whishaw) entitled Moby-Dick.
4. The Price of Salt - Patricia Highsmith (Carol)
W. W. Norton &amp; Company
Patricia Highsmith, author of successful novels-turned-movies like Strangers on a Train and The Talented Mr. Ripley (we're choosing to ignore the recent The Two Faces of January here), wrote The Price of Salt, which will be released as 'Carol.' The novel itself, controversial for its lesbian content and unprecedented gay happy ending, is said to have inspired Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita. The film stars Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, and Sarah Paulson, with Far From Heaven and I'm Not There director Todd Haynes helming.
5. Dark Places - Gillian Flynn
Shaye Areheart Books
Gone Girl author brings us yet another chilling thriller. A young girl is the sole survivor of a massacre that leaves both of her sisters and her mother dead in an apparent Satanic cult ritual. She testifies against her brother, but 25 years later, she begins to investigate the actual events. Charlize Theron, Chloë Grace Moretz, Nicholas Hoult, and Christina Hendricks star.
6. A Walk in the Woods - Bill Bryson
HarperCollins Publishers
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants director Ken Kwapis is set to direct Bryson's memoir, starring Robert Redford and Nick Nolte. The hilarious book describes Bryson's attempt to walk the Appalachian Trail with his friend Stephen Katz. Emma Thompson and Parks and Recreation's Nick Offerman will also star.
7. Insurgent - Veronica Roth
As conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows, a war looms for Divergent's post-apocalyptic Chicago. In this sequel, we're still following Shailene Woodley and Theo James' Tris and Four as they try to understand the reasons for Erudite's insurrection and obtain information the Abnegation are trying to protect. Kate Winslet, Zoë Kravitz, Ansel Elgort, and Miles Teller return in their supporting roles, and are joined by some all-star names: Naomi Watts, Octavia Spencer, and Suki Waterhouse.
8. Serena - Ron Rash
The dynamic duo of mega-nominated movies Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle are back at it! Bradley Cooper plays a man trying to maintain his timber empire during the Depression, while Jennifer Lawrence plays his wife who discovers she can't have children. For some reason, we're a little terrified of JLaw in this movie from the trailer.
9. Silence - Shusako Endo
Taplinger Publishing Company
This 1966 novel about a Jesuit missionary sent to 17th century Japan where he endures persecution is set to be adapted by Martin Scorsese. It will also have an all star cast of Andrew Garfield, Liam Neeson, Ken Watanabe, and Adam Driver.
10. The Longest Ride - Nicholas Sparks
The producers of The Fault in Our Stars, the author of The Notebook, and the hottest Hollywood son around, this movie already has us in love with it. Scott Eastwood and Britt Robertson play two lovers and there's a rodeo or something; we don't really know, we were just thinking about how much this movie will make us cry. Time to read the book.
11. Far From the Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
The Hunt director Thomas Vinterberg tackles Thomas Hardy's novel. Carey Mulligan stars as Bathsheba Everdene, a woman who has too many men in love with her and of course rejects them all until she falls for one. Three men, played by Michael Sheen, Matthias Schoenaerts (Rust and Bone), and Tom Sturridge (On The Road), all after this woman: who will she end up with? We actually just read the plot description and had everything spoiled and somehow still gasped and cried at those three paragraphs. Why didn't we know about this book before?!
12. Paper Towns - John Green
Dutton Books
The Fault in Our Stars author John Green's next book to be adapted by the same team who adapted TFIOS (Scott Neustadter &amp; Michael H. Weber). Margo and her adventures are legendary at her high school, and Quentin ("Q") has always loved her for it. Margo climbs through his window and demands he take an all night road trip of revenge, but when she goes missing the next day, Q realizes she's left clues for him and promptly hits the road again in search of her. Cara Delevingne will play Margo and TFIOS' Nat Wolff will play Q.
13. The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge - Michael Punke
Carroll &amp; Graf Publishers
Academy Award-nominated Alejandro González Iñárritu (Birdman, 21 Grams, Biutiful) is set to direct Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy in this adaptation. Partially based on the life of fur trapper Hugh Glass. Leo will play Glass, who is mauled by a bear, then later robbed and left for dead by his companions. He survives and sets out for revenge against those same men.
14. The Secret Scripture - Sebastian Barry
Faber and Faber
A one-hundred-year-old woman, Roseanne McNulty, in a mental hospital for about 50 years decides to retrace her history. As the hospital faces demolition and he must choose which of his patients should be transferred and which should rejoin the community, Dr. Grene also tries to discover her history. What they find is very different, though there are some consistencies. Vanessa Redgrave and Rooney Mara will play Roseanne McNulty, Eric Bana will play Grene, with Theo James also starring.
15. Frankenstein - Mary Shelley
Penguin Classics
An oft-adapted novel, Mary Shelley's classic is to be turned into yet another film, this time directed by Paul McGuigan (Lucky Number Slevin, Push). The updated version, titled Victor Frankenstein, will be told from the perspective of the doctor's assistant, Igor. The film will explain how the doctor became the man who created the legendary monster. Daniel Radcliffe will play Igor and James McAvoy will play Victor Frankenstein.
16. The Martian - Andy Weir
Crown Publishing Group
Described as Cast Away meets Apollo 13, the novel follows an astronaut stranded on Mars, fighting to survive (which also sounds mildly like Gravity to us, no?). Ridley Scott is set to direct a pretty stellar (no pun intended) cast here: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Jeff Daniels, Kristen Wiig, Donald Glover, Kate Mara, and Chiwetel Ejiofor. This sounds like a great movie already, but we'll have to wait until November to see it.
17. The Jungle Book - Rudyard Kipling
Macmillan Publishers
Walt Disney Pictures is working on this live-action/CGI mash-up of the classic book, directed by Jon Favreau (Iron Man, Chef), with a mind-bogglingly incredible cast. Bill Murray, Idris Elba, Ben Kingsley, Christopher Walken, Scarlett Johansson, Lupita Nyong'o, and Breaking Bad's Giancarlo Esposito will provide voices, while newcomer Neel Sethi will play Mowgli.

Sir Ridley Scott's new movie Exodus: Gods And Kings will not be released in cinemas in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after movie officials found "many mistakes" in its depiction of religion. The ruling by the UAE film board follows similar decisions by authorities in Egypt and Morocco, who also banned the movie, which follows the story of Moses, due to "historical inaccuracies".
Juma Obeid Al Leem, the director of Media Content Tracking at the National Media Council, which approves films in the UAE, tells Gulfnews.com, "This movie is under our review and we found that there are many mistakes not only about Islam but other religions too. So, we will not release it in the UAE."
Director Scott has already come under fire for casting Caucasian actors in Egyptian roles.

Officials in Morocco and Egypt have banned Ridley Scott's new biblical epic Exodus: Gods & Kings from cinemas across the nation due to the film's "historical inaccuracies". Censors in Egypt are reportedly upset with the movie's depiction of Jews as Pyramid builders and other scenes they insist contradict Bible stories, while their counterparts in Morocco, where scenes for the film were shot, have reversed a decision to allow the blockbuster, starring Christian Bale as Moses, to open in cinemas.
Director Scott has already had to defend his film from critics upset with the casting of two white movie stars as Moses and Egyptian pharaoh Ramses.

Title

Stumbled with the fantasy "Legend," starring Tom Cruise; film was critical and box-office disappointment

Executive produced and directed "White Squall," a fact-based tale of a prep school aboard a brigantine

Returned to sci-fi roots as director and producer of "Prometheus," starring Noomi Rapace, Charlize Theron, and Michael Fassbender

Directed Orlando Bloom in "Kingdom of Heaven," about the 12th Century Crusades

Once again directed actor Russell Crowe in the romantic drama "A Good Year"

Helmed first American feature, the sci-fi themed "Blade Runner"; dismissed by audiences at the time, but has since become something of a minor genre classic

Directed the fact-based drama "Black Hawk Down" about the 1993 U.S. raid on Somalia; earned a Best Director Academy Award nomination

Helmed "American Gangster," starring Denzel Washington and Crowe; film based on "The Return of Superfly," a New York magazine story by Mark Jacobson about the rise and fall of the 1970s heroin kingpin Frank Lucas; earned a Golden Globe nomination f

Feature directorial debut, the period drama "The Duellists"

Formed (with brother Tony) the film and television production company Scott Free Productions in Los Angeles, CA

Executive produced "Someone to Watch Over Me," a rather conventional but visually stylish romantic thriller; also directed

Directed Demi Moore in "G.I. Jane"

Helmed "Hannibal," the long-awaited sequel to "The Silence of the Lambs"

Joined BBC television as a production designer; later promoted to director

Produced "Where the Money Is," a modest caper film enlivened by the casting of Paul Newman and Linda Fiorentino

Executive produced the Starz miniseries "The Pillars of the Earth"

Once again teamed with Crowe for the film adaptation of "Body of Lies"

Co-produced "Clay Pigeons," helmed by David Dobkin

Helmed the intriguing thriller "Black Rain" about two NYC cops who must escort members of the Yakuza back to Japan

With brother Tony, co-founded Ridley Scott Associates, a commercial production house; served as managing director

Helmed an adaptation of "Robin Hood," starring Crowe as the legendary outlaw and Cate Blanchett as Lady Marian

Served as producer only in "Monkey Trouble" and the remake of "The Browning Version," helmed by Mike Figgis

Served as excutive producer of the acclaimed HBO original movie "RKO 281," about the making of 1941 classic "Citizen Kane"

Produced and directed the acclaimed and controversial "Thelma & Louise"; earned Best Director Oscar nomination

Co-produced with brother Tony, the film adaptation of the 1980s TV cult classic "The A-Team"

Directed the stylish and thrilling sci-fi actioner "Alien"

Directed his first short film "Boy and Bicycle" (released 1965), shot during attendance at Royal College of Art; starred brother Tony and their father

Directed Nicolas Cage and Sam Rockwell in "Matchstick Men"

Directed episodes of popular crime docudrama series "Z Cars" (BBC)

Directed the box-office smash "Gladiator," a drama set in ancient Rome starring Russell Crowe; film received 12 Oscar nominations, including one for Best Director

Spent one year in the U.S. on scholarship from Royal College of Art; worked at Time-Life, Inc. with Richard Leacock and D. A. Pennebaker

Summary

One of the more respected and prolific filmmakers in modern cinema, director-producer Ridley Scott amassed a portfolio containing some of the most critically and commercially successful movies of all time. Emerging from the world of television commercial production, Scott was nearly 40 years old by the time he helmed his first feature "The Duellists" (1977). Its lackluster reception left audiences ill-prepared for the massive impact that came next with the classic science-fiction/horror film "Alien" (1979). Although a commercial disaster at the time, "Blade Runner" (1982) would later be regarded as one of the most influential sci-fi movies ever made, while Scott's on-set behavior during production earned him a lasting reputation as an exceptionally stubborn and difficult director. The years that followed were marked by the ebb and flow of disappointment and triumph, as illustrated by efforts like "Legend" (1985), "Thelma & Louise" (1991), "White Squall" (1996) and "Gladiator" (2000). Remarkably, Scott moved into the next millennium with an even steadier output of work that included such highlights as "Black Hawk Down" (2001), "Kingdom of Heaven" (2005), "American Gangster" (2007) and "Robin Hood" (2010). Having settled into a more efficient and actor-friendly style of filmmaking during the second half of his career, Scott enjoyed the luxury of tackling themes of personal interest on film projects endowed with budgets less-proven directors could only dream of.

Born June 21, 1944; Directed the films "Top Gun" (1986) and "Man on Fire" (2004); Co-produced the TV series "Numb3rs" (CBS), and formed the film and TV production company Scott Free Productions; Died Aug. 19, 2012 of apparent suicide

Francis Scott

Father

Served in the British military during WWII; officer in the Royal Engineers

Education

Scott ran a production company with his brother Tony called Scott Free.

Scott's commercial work has been recognized at Cannes and Venice Film Festivals, and by the New York Art Directors' Club.

Since the 1990s, Ridley Scott enjoyed a secondary career as a producer of such efforts as the 1994 remake of "The Browning Version," "Clay Pigeons" (1998), the acclaimed HBO drama "RKO 281" (1999), and the Paul Newman vehicle "Where the Money Is" (2000).

"I've never had a problem with strong females. I'm still very much involved in advertising. I've got two companies, and over the past years, the best guys got the jobs of running them and they both happened to be female. I just seem to find females in general carry intuition that's more accurate than men's. I've never really had a problem dealing with and losing arguments to women. So in regards to dealing with the roles they play in my films, it's always been fun really, enjoyable." – Scott quoted in BuzzWeekly, Aug. 22-28, 1997

"I'm only competitive with myself." – Scott quoted in The London Times, Nov. 8, 1997

"Most people never tell you the truth. I'll show [brother] Tony a cut of my film, even before the studio sees it. Or vice versa. And then he'll give me 30 pages of notes. But it's always good to be able to bounce things off someone." – Scott to The London Times, Nov. 8, 1997

On his interest in the military, Scott told Empire (December 1997): "I am interested in that arena. It's pretty sick, I suppose, because in the end they are killers. But they serve their purpose, and there are arguments for and against. But there is war. There's an argument for the presence of real power; the fact that there has been no third world war. Others will argue that that's just a matter of time. But I think not. I think there is an argument for a deterrent."

"What I do is create worlds. Whether it's historical or futuristic, creating a world is the most attractive thing to me about filmmaking because everything goes, it's a matter of drawing up your own rule book and sticking to it." – Scott to The Los Angeles Times, April 23, 2000

"Over the years, I've learned to pay attention to material to the extent that I now understand that story and characters are the most important thing in any movie. The audience must identify with someone in a film and go on a journey with them. That's called escapism. I don't care if it's the stupidest mainstream movie or a really smart movie, it's got to communicate." – Scott quoted in The Los Angeles Times, April 23, 2000

On the revised impression of "Blade Runner" (1982) now thought to be one of the 1980s most influential films, Scott told Stephen Rebello of Movieline (May 2000): "Revenge isn't really sweet when it comes too many years later. As you mature, you realize all the more that the key audience member you must make truly happy is yourself. I'm always sufficiently pragmatic now by the end of the of a film to sit back, stare at it and go, 'That works' or 'Not a bad patch-up, despite a few errors here and there.' Beyond that, you need luck in everything. Why do people got for a film in a huge way when you look at it and go, 'Well, it's OK but it doesn't warrant a giant reaction.' Certain movies just color people's imaginations and you can't predict that."

"I really forgot how fun the world of science fiction is. It's where anything goes." – Scott on returning to his genre roots with "Prometheus," quoted in Entertainment Weekly, April 20/27, 2012